Matson to Augusta - Matson, MO
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member YoSam.
N 38° 36.522 W 090° 47.691
15S E 692005 N 4275661
Points of Interest -----> See photo gallery for text on photos
Waymark Code: WMYNYC
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 07/05/2018
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member iconions
Views: 1
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County of marker: St. Charles County
Location of marker: Lucille Ave. & MO-94, Katy Trailhead, Matson
Erected by: Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Date Erected: 2000

Katy Trail State Park runs for 5.70 miles from Matson to Augusta. Tavern Bluffs, seen across the river, were the scene of a dramatic episode from the Lewis and Clark Expedition: on May 23, 1804, Capt. Meriwether Lewis fell 20 feet before stopping his fall with his knife.

Along this stretch of river bluffs, Jefferson City dolomite -- which will tower over the Katy Trail for the next 100 miles -- is topped by thick layers of St. Peter sandstone. Trail users come alongside the Missouri River shortly after milepost 62, and reach a Lewis and Clark Expedition historical marker and public boat launch after another mile. Nearby, a hiking and biking trail intersects the Katy and leads to Klondike Park, an old quarry now owned by St. Charles County.

Benches offer a rest spot to enjoy the view including at a natural shelter of St. Peter sandstone at milepost 63.3. Still-standing concrete silos at the former railroad stop of Klondike, at milepost 64.1, held silica from this high-grade sandstone. Another trail climbs to the blufftop area of Klondike Park, the former quarry site, from an intersection with the Katy here.

The last four miles to Augusta are away from roads, and trail users can enjoy the farm landscape and bottomland forest of the Missouri River floodplain lined by bluffs. Sometimes visible through openings to the left, the Labadie coal-burning power plant is located on the opposite side of the river.

History of Mark:
The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (MKT)
Begun in the 1870s, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, also known as the Katy, ran through much of the Missouri River valley by the 1890s. With the Pacific Railroad running from St. St. Louis to Jefferson City by 1856 and the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad becoming the first cross-state railroad in 1859, the Katy was a relative late comer to the railroad game. However, it provided a vital link between the agriculture of central Missouri and the quickly developing American southwest. The Katy added to Missouri's prosperity, supporting towns along the corridor and causing several new towns, such Mokane and Tebbetts, to spring up almost overnight.

The Katy Ceases Operation
In the fall of 1986, the Katy experienced severe flooding that washed out several miles of track. Due to the cost of repair, the fact that railroad use was in decline, and the company was in financial trouble, the company decided to cease operations. On Oct. 4, 1986, trains 101 and 102 became the very last trains to use the corridor and the Katy ceased operations on its route from Sedalia to Machens.

The Railroad Amendment
The National Trails System Act Amendments of 1983 provided that railroad corridors no longer needed for active rail service can be banked for future transportation needs and used on an interim basis for recreational trails. When the Katy Railroad ceased operations, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources filed for a certificate of interim trail use for the corridor from Sedalia to Machens and it was granted in April 1987. The department used the opportunity to develop one of the most successful rails-to-trails conversions in the United States.

The Development of Katy Trail State Park
The first section of the trail from Rocheport to McBaine opened in April on 1990. In August of 1990, another section from Augusta to jut northeast of Defiance opened. The rail corridor from St. Charles to just past Sedalia was developed by 1996. Through a donation from the Union Pacific Railroad, the department then extended the trail to Clinton, opening the section between Sedalia and Clinton in September of 1999. Funds from the Missouri Department of Transportation will be used for construction of the final section of Katy Trail from St. Charles to Machens. Future plans include the Rock Island Trail-Katy Connector, which will connect the trails at Windsor to Pleasant Hill



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